Caller Identification service (Caller ID) for conventional public switched telephone networks (PSTN) is a widely used and popular feature. Caller ID delivers information to a call recipient regarding the identity of the party attempting to place a call. As is known in the art, caller ID information is typically delivered to the call recipient between the first and second telephone rings of an incoming call. The caller ID information can include the telephone number from which the calling party is placing the call or can include both the telephone number and the name of the entity associated with that number in telephone company records. Typically, the feature is provided to subscribers at an additional cost.
If the recipient of the call has caller ID compatible devices, the caller ID information is displayed to the recipient while the phone is ringing. This allows the recipient to decide whether or not to answer the call based on the caller ID information and can prevent the recipient from being surprised by the identity of the caller upon answering the phone.
More recently, caller ID functionality has been incorporated into devices that are not generally considered to be telephone related. For example, by using the telephone connection of an attached modem, computers have been configured to display caller ID information on a computer monitor. This can allow a user of the computer to view the caller ID information to decide whether or not to interrupt their use of the computer to retrieve a telephone and answer the call. Another example is the incorporation of caller ID functionality with television sets and television set-top boxes. Some television manufacturers incorporate telephone jacks on the back of new television sets for the purpose of receiving caller ID information from a connected line. When a call is detected by the television on the incoming line, the television displays any received caller ID information on the television screen. This information is typically presented to a television viewer by overlaying the information on the output of the television in a corner of the screen so as not to interrupt viewing of the material. A viewer can then conveniently decide whether to discontinue viewing the television in order to answer the call or to continue watching. Television set-top boxes can add this functionality to televisions that do not have it built in. Many set-top boxes include telephone jacks for downloading updated software, downloading program guides, uploading pay per view purchases, etc. The caller ID information can be read by the set-top box, and sent to the television display.
The caller ID compatible devices discussed above operate with PSTN telephone lines. Many consumers now, however, are choosing to forego subscribing to a fixed landline telephone service in favor of relying solely on wireless telephone access. Merely transmitting incoming wireless caller ID information to, and displaying this information on, a home television display, however can be undesirable if the owner of the phone is instead, for example, traveling or at their office. Caller ID information would needlessly be displayed, distracting viewers from the material they are watching. What is needed then are devices, systems, and methods for providing similar caller ID features for wireless subscribers while addressing the additional issues presented by the mobile nature of wireless communication devices.